Play With Fire
by Elyang
Summary: Rikku had her legs wrapped around him and he couldn't push her away. Auron contemplates on how they came to this.


Title: **Play With Fire**  
Category: Games » Final Fantasy X  
Author: Elyang  
Language: English, Rating: Rated: M  
Genre: Drama/Romance  
Published: 03-07-10, Updated: 03-07-10  
Chapters: 1, Words: 1,939

**Chapter 1: Chapter 1**

**Play With Fire**

"I know you want me," she whispered into his ear. Her hot breathe sent shivers down his spine and further awoken his arousal.

"I…we shouldn't. This is wrong…" but even as he protested he could feel her firm, tanned legs wrap around his waist and pull him closer. He felt her chest press against his, yet he made no attempt to move away from her.

His hands somehow made their way to her ankles and he slowly slid them through the tanned expanse of leg that seemed to stretch on forever. He was still wearing his gloves, and how he wished to strip them off and just feel her skin on his fingertips. He feared where it would lead if he did remove them though; somewhere more than pleasant but ultimately forbidden.

She placed feather light kisses on his face and pressed her chest harder against his. Her hair fell against his naked shoulder; the soft strands tickled him and he let out a sigh as the scent of her wafted into his nostrils. She smiled mischievously when she heard him and said, "See?"

He shook his head again, but even as he did this he gripped the area of her where thigh met bum and he buried his face into the crook of her neck; his stubble roughly rubbing against her, at which point she made a tiny noise of discomfort but let him do so anyway. His lips rested upon her skin but he did not kiss it. He just inhaled her scent and reveled at the softness.

Only a girl her age could have skin as soft and smooth as that. And a man his age shouldn't be allowed to feel or taste sweetness such as this, but even so he pulled her in closer and she responded by grinding herself into his strained arousal. He promptly thanked the gods for the complicated belts and buckles he was wearing, and he damned them straight to hell as well. He swore that he could feel the heat of her through his thick trousers, and it just drove him mad.

"You condemn me, you wicked thing. I should not be here, and you should not be playing with fire," her murmured. His lips lightly trailed along her neck and jaw line, yet never met her flesh. His hot breath tickled her and made her whimper. He briefly wondered where she learned to be such a tease when she took hold of his hands and slid them oh so close to her perfect little clothed chest.

She only giggled in reply and claimed his mouth again; only this time with more force, pulling him to her as she leaned back against wall.

He contemplated on how they came to this. He acknowledged that she had somehow developed a girlish crush on him as they trekked through Spira. His acts of kindness must have touched her in a way that he'd expect any young girl to respond to— in a foolish, silly way. He had to admit that he was surprised that out of all the people she could develop a sort of infatuation for, it was himself. He thought himself to be the least likely, given his age and aloof demeanor. Even Wakka would have been understandable. Naturally, he ignored her advances and since she was a child he treated it lightly.

She'd walk at a slower pace just so she could be at his side as most of the group went ahead of them. She'd secretly sneak out at night just to sit next to him in silence when it was his time to keep watch. She never said a thing at first, but then she started to make small talk and would go on for hours. He had to admit that it was a comfort. It helped him stay up on most nights. During battle she'd always be by his side, and always made sure she would be the first to aid him when he was injured. He paid her no mind or attention, but she continued these little, innocent gestures anyway.

But then these little, innocent gestures became…bolder.

It started out with the late-night conversations. Her idle talk slowly progressed to deeper things. She would share things about her culture, her aspirations, her family; she would even tell him about her girlish dreams of love and such, which he quashed by telling her that she was such a silly thing and that love and girlish crushes had no place at their camp. She frowned at this. It was the first time she left him and stalked off back into the make-shift tent. He didn't know why he said what he did because he knew that dreams such as hers were what made most of them go on through their fatal journey.

Needless to say he never repeated giving insensitive remarks, and then she came back to breaking their quiet nights.

But this was by far not the boldest thing she'd done. When they would gather campfire together she would prance about him seductively, and sometimes she would casually ask questions that were adult in nature. "Because, you know, I'm a growing girl and it's high time I learned about these things."

To which he replied, "Then ask Lulu."

At night, she'd pretend to be tired and stretch the full length of her body as she yawned because she was fully aware that she was an attractive young lady, and Auron pretended not to watch her through his tinted lenses. When he was alone with his mind wandering off into space he'd feel her behind him pressing her chest against his back, and she'd ask, "Whatcha thinkin' about, grumpy?"

During the middle of one of their conversations (but really it just consisted of her talking) over the campfire she suddenly said, "I like you, Auron. I think you've noticed."

He didn't reply and she said nothing more.

And despite all of this he never responded to her advances, because he knew that she deserved someone better than a dead man. Then Home was destroyed, and on the airship she was nowhere to be seen. Tidus came up to him and asked if he knew where she was, but he just shook his head.

"Because I thought that, you know, you'd know where she was 'coz you guys seem pretty tight. Maybe you should go look for her," Tidus muttered as he scratched the back of his head.

"I'm not her keeper," was his reply as he walked away, but even still he found himself making his way to the engine room because he knew she'd be there.

As he entered he heard sobbing amongst the whine and hiss of the machines. She was sitting in the farthest corner of the room with her knees up to her chest and her face hidden beneath her arms.

"Rikku?" he called out. Her face was wet and blotchy and her eyes were swollen when she looked up. Upon seeing him her upper lip quavered and her shoulders shuddered as her sobs increased.

"I apologize. I should leave," he said but as he was about to turn his heel she collided into him. She clutched onto him and she buried her face into his coat and cried.

He said nothing and put his arm around her tiny frame. He wasn't the best at consoling people so he opted to stay silent and let her vent. When her sobs subsided she lifted her face from his chest, but did not break their embrace. Her hands were latched onto the front of his coat; she looked at him and asked, "Do you like me, Auron?"

After a long silence she stood on her tip-toes to meet his height and gave him a very forceful kiss. He grabbed hold of her shoulders and pushed her away. The shocked and hurt look she gave him made him more aware of his inability to console others.

"Why?" she choked out through a sob. "Why don't you like me?"

"Rikku, you're too young. You're-" before he could finish his sentence he was caught of by a sharp pound of her fist on his chest.

"So that's what it's about? I'm too _young_?" she cried. "We could die at _any _moment. Everything we love could be erased in a blink of an eye, and you refuse to kiss me or feel anything for me because I'm too _young_?"

"Rikku, try to understand. It's not just that, it's-" but she was crying and pounding on his chest which made it difficult for him to speak. It was also pretty much pointless because she wasn't listening. So he grabbed her fists and she stopped because he was too strong for her to fight.

"I do not want to hurt you, Rikku," he said firmly. Trying to say something more than words would allow.

"Coward," she hissed and yanked her hand away. When she refused to look at him he took his leave.

As day progressed to night he found himself outside her door. She had retired to her room before anyone else had. He did not knock but he called out her name. He doubted that she heard him through the walls but she had opened the door and was peering through the tiny crack she made. She just stared at him but then gave him entrance to her room.

The room was tiny and intimate. There were no windows and there was hardly any furniture except for her bed and bedside dresser. When the door closed he felt so close to her despite her being more than arm's length away from her.

The room was dimly lit by a lamp near her bed. The sheets were askew on the bed and he could tell she had done nothing but cry. She sat by the edge of her bed and when he did not budge from his spot she motioned for him to sit beside her.

He did not attempt to speak because he really couldn't think of anything to say, and it may have been the same for her. He had not realized when her hand came to rest on his knee, or when she leaned into him, or when she pushed off his heavy coat. He knew that maybe he should've stopped her, and maybe he shouldn't have let her straddle him, or give her her first adult kiss that was a lot of teeth and awkward nipping, and maybe he shouldn't have liked how her salty skin tasted…but he did.

And when she reached down to unbuckle his belt and remove his trousers, he grabbed her hand and said, "You shouldn't play with fire."

And that was the first time he told her that. He can no longer remember how many warnings he gave her, but each time he did he let her burn anyway.

_AN: It feels very nice to write something after so long, but I should be working on my thesis! D:_


End file.
